Holder for loose leaf sheets



May 1, 1962 A. w. WAKE MAN 3,032,040

HOLDER EOE LoosE LEAF SHEETS Filed Jan. 50, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A7"TRNEY May 1, 1962 A. w. WAKl-:MAN 3,032,040

HOLDER FOR LOOSE LEAF SHEETS fi? f5 42 4 5 Z/ Z2 /0 ATTDRNEY' A. w.WAKEMAN 3,032,040

HOLDER FOR LOOSE LEAF SHETS May 1, 1962 O' Filed Jan. 30, 1961 5Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent vOiitce 3,032,040 Patented May l,1962 3,032,040 HOLDER FOR LOOSE LEAF SHEETS Alfred W. Wakeman, Durham,Conn., assignor to Acme Brief Case Co. Inc., Yonkers, N.Y., acorporation of New York Filed Jan. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 85,621 3 Claims.(Cl. 129-8) The present invention relates to a holder for loose leafsheets, particularly of the type having positioning pins mounted upon asupporting base and engaged through punched holes in the margins of thesheets. An object of the invention is to provide a holder havingimproved means for retaining a stack of sheets upon the positioningpins, such means being in the form of auxiliary pins normally disposedin a transverse position at one side and contiguous to the outer ends ofthe positioning pins whereby the stack of sheets is normally retained inthe holder, and which enables one or more sheets to be transferred fromthe stack to the auxiliary pins and individual sheets to be removed fromthe holder by slipping them from the top of the stack between thecontiguous surfaces of the positioning and auxiliary pins. A furtherobject is to provide a holder in which the auxiliary pins are carried bythe movable closure of a container unit for pencils, pens, erasers andthe like combined with the holder, whereby opening of the containerclosure moves the auxiliary pins out of retaining relation with thepositioning pins.

Another object is to provide a holder in which the container unit iscombined with a cover having hinge-dly connected front and back coverpanels, and in which individual sheets may be removed while the coverpanel is open and the container closure is closed with the auxiliarypins in their normal retaining relation to the positioning pins.

Other. objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the inventionis shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is notlimited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations andmodiiications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scopeof the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a top plan view of the holder according to one embodiment ofthe invention, shown in fully opened position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the holder in the open position asseen in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the holder in its position with thecontainer closure closed and the front cover panel open and folded underthe back cover panel;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view showing the holder with the frontcover panel in closed position;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 5-5of FIG. 1, and showing in dot-anddash lines a stack of paper sheets inrelation to the positioning pins;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5, and showing the holder inthe open position of FIG. 3, the dotand-dash lines showing the manner inwhich a paper sheet may be transferred from the positioning to theauxiliary pins, and also showing the manner in which a paper sheet maybe removed from the holder;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view also similar to FIG. 5 and showing the holderin the closed position of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the closure part of thecontainer unit;

FIG. 9 is a front elevation partially in longitudinal vertical sectiontaken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the base part of the container unit; f

FIG. 11 is a front elevation of the base part;

FIG. 12 is a vertical transverse sectional view, on an enlarged scale,of the closure part taken along the line` 12-12 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the intermediate portionofthe closure part;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the intermediate portion ofthe closure part;

FIG. 15 is a transverse sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of thebase part of the container unit taken along the line 15-15 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 16 is a transverse vertical sectional view showing the holder inthe closed position as seen in FIG. 7, and taken along the center lineof the holder indicated by the line 16-16 of FIG. l;

FIG. 17 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 16 of a modified form of theholder illustrated in FIGS. 18-23, and taken along the line 17-17 ofFIG. 20;

FIG. 18 is a plan View of a modified form of the invention shown infully opened position;

FIG. 19 is a plan view showing the front cover panel in open positionand folded beneath the back cover panel;

FIG. 20 is a plan view showing the front cover panell closed; v Y

FIG. 2l is a fragmentary side elevation of the holder in the openposition as seen along the line 21--21 in FIG. 18;

FIG. 22 is a fragmentary side elevation of the holder in open positionas seen along the line 22-22 of FIG. 19, and showing in dot-and-dashlines the position of paper sheets upon the positioning and auxiliarypins, .and also showing in dot-and-dash lines a single sheet beingremoved from the holder; and

FIG. 23 is a fragmentary side elevation of the holder.

in the closed position as seen along the line 23--23 of FIG. 2o.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly-to, FIGS. 1-16, theembodiment of the invention illustrated therein is particularly adaptedfor holding loose-leaf sheets having pin-receiving holes along one sideedge, and comprises relatively stiil back and front cover panels 10 and11 and intermediate hinge panels 12 and 12a respectively connected tothe back and front cover panels along hinge lines 13 and -14 andconnected to each other along a hinge line 15. The cover andintermediate panels are preferably constructed in well-known manner ofrelatively stii fibre board panels enclosed in thin plastic sheets heatsealed around the peripheral edges and heat sealed along the hinge linesin the spaces between the respective cardboard or libre board sheets tothus provide an attractive waterproof articulated cover. Adjacent theedge of the back cover panel 10 there is secured the receptacle part 16of the container unit, the closure part 17 being secured to theintermediate hinge panel 12 in relation to be moved between open andclosed positions through hinge movement about the hinge line 13 as willpresently more fully appear. v

The container unit parts are preferably formed of suitable moldedplastic material. The receptacle part 16, shown in detail in FIGS. l0,ll and l5, comprises a horizontal base wall 18, transverse end walls19-19 and longitudinal rearward and forward vertical side walls 20 and21 providing an elongated receptacle for pencils, pens, erasers and thelike. The base wall extends outwardly beyond the side wall 21 and isbeveled along its outer edge as at 22 to provide a supporting surfacefor the punched margin of the stack of loose-leaf sheets 23 to becontained in the holder, and adjacent the outer edge there are provideda pair of vertical positioning pins 24-24 suitably 3 spaced to registerwith the holes 25 punched in the looseleaf sheets.

Apertured rivet-receiving bosses 26-26 are provided in the base wall 18for securing the receptacle part to the back cover panel by means ofrivets 27 as clearly shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The closure part 17 of the container unit, shown in detail in FIGS. 8,9, 12, 13 and 14, comprises a longitudinal side wall 23 and alongitudinal top wall 29 disposed substantially at a right angle to theside wall 28, the side wall being provided with aperturedrivet-receiving bosses 30-30 for securing the closure part to theintermediate cover panel 12 by means of rivets 31 as clearly shown inFIGS. 5 and 6.

At its forward edge the top wall 29 is provided with a bevel flange 32,the lower edge of which is adapted to seat upon the upper edge of thelongitudinal wall 21 of the receptacle part in the closed position ofthe closure part as seen in FIGS. 6 and 7. Reinforcing end flanges 33-33extend between the side wall 28 and the bevel flange 32, and in theclosed position engage the inner sides of the end walls 19 of thereceptacle part to restrain longitudinal displacement Vofthe closurepart. The end walls 19 project rearwardly from the side wall 20, as at34, a distance corresponding to the thickness of the side wall 2S of theclosure part, so that in the closed position the end edges of the sidewall 28 are concealed by the projecting portions 34 of the end walls 19.

The side wall 20 is of a height at its intermediate portion so that itsupper edge 35 engages the under side of the top wall 29 of the closurepart in the closed position, and thus in cooperation with the bevelflange 32 engaged with the upper edge of the wall 21 positions theclosure part against vertical displacement. The upper edges 36 of theend portions of the wall 20 are downwardly offset and thus provideclearance spaces through which the end flanges 33 may pass as theclosure part is moved between its open and closed positions. Thelongitudinal walls 20 and 21 are also provided with cutouts 37 intransverse line with the rivet-'receiving bosses 26 which facilitateengagement of a riveting tool during assembly of the holder, and alsoprovide transversely opposed clearance spaces to enable the convenientgrasping of a pencil or the like within the receptacle part. The wall 20is also provided at its center portion with a clearance cutout 33 forthe magnetic retaining means `carried by the closure part as the lattermoves between its open and closed position, as will presently more fullyappear.

At the forward edge of the top wall 29 of the closure part and in linewith the pins 24 of the receptacle part there is provided a pair offorwardly projecting auxiliary pins 39-39 which, in the closed positionof the closure part, tare horizontally disposed with their free ends inopposed transverse relation to the rearward sides of the upper endportions of the pins 24 with a slight space between the opposed surfacesfor a purpose presently to more fully appear. `As clearly seen in FIG. 6the pins 24 are each upwardly tapered and provided at their free endswith an upperend surface 40 radiused in a forwardly and downwardlyinclined direction with its high side substantially in line with theupper side of the opposed transverse pin 39. The free end surfaces 41 ofthe pins 39 are inclined downwardly and inwardly and are slightly spacedfrom the opposed surfaces of the pins 24 in the closed position of theclosure part.

As shown Vin dot-and-dash lines in FIGS. 5-7 the stack of loose-leafsheets 23 is etfectually retained upon the pins 24 in the open positionof the front cover panel 11, FIG. V6, well as in the closed position,FIG. 7. In the open position it is possible to slip out the top sheet bylifting it upon the pins 24 and turning it to a vertical position, theinclined upper ends 40 of the pins providing clearance to allow theholes 25 in the sheet to clear the pins, as indicatedat A, whereupon thesheet may be slipped upwardly between the opposedspaced surfaces of thetransverse pins 39 and the positioning pins 24, as indicated at B. If itis desired to turn back one or more sheets without removing them fromthe holder, or if it is desired to remove one or more sheets from theinterior of the stack, the selected top sheets may be transferred fromthe positioning pins to the transverse pins where they may be retainedin a turned back position, as indicated at C. The desired sheets maythen be removed and the turned back sheets transferred back to the pins24. In the opened position of the closure part as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and5 the normally transverse pins 39 are disposed vertically and maysupport sheets at the opposite side of the holder from the stack asshown by the dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 5.

Magnetic catch means is provided 'for releasably retaining the closurepart 17 in closed position. Centrally of the receptacle part 16 there isprovided a rectangular pocket formation 42 at the inner side of the wall21, the latter being inwardly offset at its intermediate portion as at43 for a purpose presently to more fully appear. The pocket formation isopen at its lower end and is provided in its top wall with spaced slots44-44 within which are engaged the upper shouldered end portions of apair of pole plates 45-45 between which there is sandwiched within thepocket a permanent magnet element 46 of Alnioo or the like, the magnetparts being retained in the assembled relation of the holder by the backcover panel 10 which closes the lower end of the pocket. Theintermediate upper edge 43 of the wall 21 is beveled as at 47 and in theclosed position of the closure part is engaged by the inner surface ofthe bevelange 32 of the closure part, as clearly shown in FIG. 16, andin cooperation with the engagement of the side wall 28 of the closurepart with side wall 20 of the receptacle part positions the closure partagainst transverse displacement.

A rectangular armature plate 48 is carried by the closure part inposition to contact the upper ends of the magnetic pole plates 45 in theclosed position of the cover to thus releasably retain the parts closed.While the armature plate may be riveted or otherwise suitably secured tothe under side of the top wall 29, it is preferably assembled by meansof interlocking formation provided upon the closure part. As clearlyseen in FIGS. 8, 9, l2, 13 and 14 a longitudinal slot 49 is provided inthe side wall 28 adjacent its upper edge through which the armatureplate may be laterally slid into place to be engaged at its side edgesby positioning ribs SI1- 50 having spacer shoulders 51-51 engaging theupper side of the plate and to be supported at its under side upon aledge 52 provided upon the inner side of the wall 28 ilu'sh with theunder side of the slot 49 and a ledge 53 provided in an intermediatehandle portion 54 of the bevel flange 32. Centrally of the upper side ofthe slot 47 there is provided a retaining lug 55 which yields upwardlythrough the flexibility of the plastic materia] to allow the armatureplate to be slipped into place and which projects over its rearward edgein the assembled position to thus retain it in place.

The handle portion 54 projects forwardly from the bevel flange and itsupper surface is suitably flattened so that the ngers may beconveniently gripped therewith to lift the closure Vpart to separate thearmature plate from the pole plates of the magnet, the inwardly offsetwall portion 43 providing a clearance space to facilitate thisoperation.

In operation, the closure part 17 is moved to its open position as seenin FIGS. 1 and 2 by first exerting lifting force upon the handle portion54 to separate the armature of the magnetic catch from the pole plates.In the open position the auxiliary pins 39 are vertically disposed, withthe front cover panel 11 either extended at the opposite side from theback cover panel 10, as shown, or folded Vbeneath the back cover panel.In the open position of the closure part access may be had to pencils,pens, erasers or the like contained in the receptacle part and 4looseleaves may if desired be transferred from the stack upon the positioningpins 24 to the vertically disposed auxiliary pins 39 as shown in FIG. 5.In the closed position of the closure part as seen in FIGS. 3 and 6,with the front cover panel 11 either folded beneath the back cover panel10, as shown, or .extended to one side, the top sheets of the stackpositioned upon the pins 24 may be transferred to the auxiliary pins 39or removed through the space between the positioning and auxiliary pins.In the closed position as seen in FIGS. 4 and 7 the front cover panel 11cooperates with the auxiliary pins to retain the stacked sheets upon thepositioning pins in any position in which the holder may be carried, forinstance, in a sidewise or upside down position, the cover 11 retainingthe sheets upon the stack so that they will not slip upon thepositioning pins 48 beyond the under side of the auxiliary pins 39.

In FIGS. 17-23 there is illustrated a modification of the inventionparticularly adapted for holding looseleaf sheets having pin-receivingholes along the top edge. It comprises back and front cover panels and11 and intermediate hinge panels 12, 12a, 12b and 12C connected to theback and front cover panels along hinge lines 13 and 14 and to eachother along hinge lines 15. The receptacle part 16a and the closure part17a are generally similar to the receptacle and closure parts 16 and 17of the iirst embodiment, except for certain alterations adapting theseparts to the altered cover arrangement employing the four hinge panelsas distinguished from the two hinge panels of the first embodiment.

The receptacle part 16a is secured to the back cover panel 10 adjacentthe hinge line 12 in similar manner to the first embodiment and isidentical therewith except that the closure clearance cutout 38 of theside wall 20' is dispensed with, and the side wall 20a is of such heightthroughout its length that its top edge 35a provides a seat for thelower edge of the side wall of the closure part, as will presently morefully appear. Also, the projecting flange portions 34 of the end walls19 are dispensed with, the end walls 19a being flush at their rearwardedges with the rearward surface of the side wall 20a.

The closure part 17a is substantially identical to the closure part 17of the first embodiment, except that the side Wall 28a is shorter thanthe side wall 28 so that its lower edge is ush with the lower edges ofthe end walls 33 and the apertured rivet-receiving bosses 30-30 areprovided in the top wall 29 for securing the closure part by rivets31-31 to the second hinge panel 12a, as distinguished from the firstembodiment where the side wall 28 of the closure part is secured to therst hinge panel 12.

In view of the arrangement of the side wall 28a with its lower edge inush relation with the under side of the armature plate 48 the retainingmeans for the armature plate is also modified. Instead of the slot 49the side wall 28 is provided with a notch 49a open at its lower side andhaving the retaining lug 55 at its upper side which yields upwardlythrough flexing of the top wall 29 during insertion of the armatureplate. Instead of the supporting ledge 52 there are provided upon theribs 50-50 inwardly extending lugs 52a-52a engaged with the under sideof the armature plate, these lugs being of such length, as clearly shownin FIG. 17, that in the closed position of the closure part their endsengage the side wall Ztla of the receptacle part 16a and the side wallof the pocket formation 42 to thus restrain transverse displacement ofthe closure part.

The operation is substantially like that of the first embodiment exceptthat in the open position of the closure part as seen in FIGS. 18 and 2lthe auxiliary pins 39 are disposed horizontally instead of vertically asin the rst embodiment.

What is claimed is:

l. In a holder for stacked sheets having a plurality of longitudinallyspaced holes adjacent one edge, a cover comprising back and front coverpanels and hinge panel means hingedly connected between the inner edgesof said back and front cover panels, a receptacle part comprising ahorizontal base wall secured to said back cover panel adjacent itshinged edge, a pair of vertical end walls and forward and rearwardvertical side walls carried by said base wall and defining with saidbase wall a receptacle open at its upper side, said forward side wallbeing rearwardly spaced from the forward edge of said base wall, and aplurality of vertical hole-engaging positioning pins carried by saidbase wall in spaced relation along a line parallel to and in forwardlyspaced relation to said forward side wall having free ends for entryinto the holes of said stacked sheets, a closure part comprising wallmeans secured to said hinge panel means for movement between an openposition outwardly of said hinged edge of said back cover panel and aclosed horizontal position overlying said receptacle with its forwardedge seated upon the upper edge of said forward side wall of saidreceptacle part in rearwardly spaced relation to said positioning pins,and a plurality of auxiliary holeengaging retaining pins rigidly carriedby said wall means in spaced relation along and projecting from itsforward edge having free ends for entry into the holes of said stackedsheets, and which in said closed horizontal position are horizontallydisposed with their upper sides in substantial alignment with the freeends of said positioning pins and with their free ends in opposedrelation to the rearward sides of said positioning pins, whereby the topsheet of stacked sheets positioned on said positioning pins may betransferred to said auxiliary pins, the lengths of said retaining pinsbeing such that in said closed position their free ends are spaced fromthe rearward sides of said positioning pins to provide vertical spacessufiicient to allow the top sheet of said stacked sheets to be removedby slipping through said spaces, and catch means cooperatively carriedby said receptacle and closure parts for releasably retaining saidclosure part in closed position.

2. In a holder for stacked sheets having a plurality of longitudinallyspaced holes adjacent one edge, a cover comprising back and front coverpanels and hinge panel means hingedly connected between the inner edgesof said back and front cover panels, said hinge panel means cornprisinga hinge panel adjacent said back cover panel adapted in one position tolie in a plane at right angles to said back cover panel and in anotherposition to lie in thesame plane with said back cover panel, areceptacle part comprising a horizontal base wall secured to said backcover panel adjacent its hinged edge, a pair of vertical end walls andforward and rearward vertical side walls carried by said base wall landdefining with said base wall a receptacle open at its upper side, saidforward side wall being rearwardly spaced from the forward edge of saidbase wall, and a plurality of vertical hole-engaging positioning pinscarried by said base wall in spaced relation along a line parallel toand in forwardly spaced relation to said forward side wall having freeends for entry into the holes of said stacked sheets, a closure partcomprising a side wall secured to said hinge panel in parallel relationthereto and a top wall substantially at right angles to said side wall,said top wall adapted in said one position of said hinge panel to assumea closed horizontal position overlying said receptacle with its forwardedge seated upon the upper edge of said forward side wall of saidreceptacle part in rearwardly spaced relation to said positioning pins,and a plurality of auxiliary holeengaging retaining pins rigidly carriedby said top wall in spaced relation along and projecting from itsforward edge having free ends for entry into the holes of said stackedsheets, and which in said closed horizontal position are horizontallydisposed with their upper sides in substantial alignment with the freeends of said positioning pins and with their free ends in opposedrelation. to the rearward sides of said positioning pins, whereby thetop sheet of stacked sheets positioned on said positioning pins may betransferred to said auxiliary pins, the

lengths of said retaining pins being such that in said closed positiontheir free ends are spaced from the rearward side surfaces of saidpositioning pins to provide vertical spaces suflicient to allow the topsheet of said stacked sheets to be removed by slipping through saidspaces, and catch means cooperatively carried by said receptacle andclosure parts for releasably retaining said closure part in closedposition.

3. In a holder for stacked sheets having a plurality of longitudinallyspaced holes adjacent one edge, a cover comprising back and front coverpanels and hinge panels means hingedly connected between the inner edgesof said back and front cover panels, said hinge panel means comprising afirst hinge panel adjacent said back cover panel and a second hingepanel adjacent said first hinge panel, a receptacle part comprising ahorizontal base Wall secured to said back cover panel adjacent itshinged edge, a pair of vertical end Walls and forward and rearwardvertical side walls carried by said base Wall and defining with saidbase wall a receptacle open at its upper side, said forward side wallbeing rearwardly spaced from the forward edge of vsaid base wall, and aplurality of vertical hole-engaging positioning pins carried by saidbase wall in spaced relation along a line parallel to and in forwardlyspaced relation to said forward side wall having free ends for entryinto the holes of said stacked sheets, a closure part comprising a topwall secured to -said second hinge panel for movement between an openposition outwardly of said hinged edge of said back cover panel and aclosed horizontal position overlying said receptacle with its forwardedge seated upon the upper edge of said forward side wall of saidreceptacle part in rearwardly spaced relation to said positioning pins,and

ing pins, whereby the ytop sheet of stacked sheets positioned on saidpositioning pins may be transferred to said auxiliary pins, the lengthsof said retaining pins being such that in said closed position theirfree ends are spaced from the rearward sides of said positioning pin toprovide vertical spaces sufficient to allow the top sheet of s saidstacked sheets to be removed by slipping through said spaces, and catchmeans cooperatively carried by said receptacle and closure parts forreleasably retaining said closure part in closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSMcCormick June 14, 1904 Osteen Sept. 27, 1960

